Tag Archives: Hugo Chavez

Barack Obama, 49-years-old

After having one of the most pubicized presidential campaigns of all time, Barack Obama went from senator to the 44th President of the United States while remaining a devoted father and husband.

However, Barack Obama shocked the White House staff with his working habits. Obama begins his working day two hours later than his predecessors, takes off jacket during the meetings and frequently enters into the rooms of his staff members.

Barack Obama wakes up later at 06.45, visits the gym to do exercises, has a breakfast with his family and helps his daughters to prepare for the school. Only after that he comes to the Oval Office at about 09.30.

When the White House released its first picture of the president at work in the Oval Office, there he was in his shirt sleeves. The White House was shocked when they saw the President coatless in the Oval Office. All were surprised that the President allows the staff to wear free and easy. He has different relations with his staff than his predecessor.

His press secretary Robert Gibbs confessed that Obama wandered into the press secretary’s office and caught him with his feet propped up on the desk.

Obama tried to quit smoking several times over the years and has used nicotine replacement therapy. However in June 2010, during a congratulatory phone call to president-elect Benigno Aquino of the Philippines, Obama told Aquino that he had quit and would offer advice on how to stop smoking when Aquino was himself ready for that step.

Besides all these, President Obama’s wife Michelle has revealed what her husband’s most annoying habit is – tennis.

The US first lady admitted that when they play, it is her husband who usually wins.

She said: “He beats me quite often. That gets to be pretty annoying.”

Mrs Obama was asked about the president’s flaws by TV host Jay Leno on his show.

At first, she sarcastically said he has none.

“He’s perfect,” she quipped.

But then she admitted it was their battles on the tennis court that got her peeved.

Vladimir Putin, 57-years-old

Russian Prime Minister

Two times President and currently Prime Minister. There are rumors saying that he will candidate again for the next presidential campaign (yes, Russian Constitution allows that). Now, that’s a long career as a lead of state!

Vladimir Putin trials a GPS device on his dog Koni.

Putin owns a black Labrador Retriever named Koni, who has been known to accompany him into staff meetings and greeting world leaders.

One of Putin’s favorite sports is the martial art of judo. Putin began training in sambo (a martial art that originated in the Soviet Union) at the age of 14, before switching to judo, which he continues to practice today. He is the President of the Yawara Dojo, the same Saint Petersburg dojo he practiced at when young.

In July 2010 Putin appeared at a Russian-Ukrainian Orthodox Bikers festival in Sevastopol, Ukraine riding a Harley-Davidson tricycle. The high council of Russian bikers movements unanimously voted to elevate him into a Hells Angel range with the nickname of Abaddon.

The nickname is probably influenced by angel of death and destruction Abadonna in Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita novel.

Vladimir Putin is also known to be flying airplanes. He co-piloted a plane over burning forests, releasing 24 tons of water on a blaze — all without any formal pilot training.

Putin, wearing a blue shirt and jeans, boarded a Russian-built Be-200 amphibious aircraft as a passenger for a flight over the Ryazan region.

But he later went into the cockpit and sat in the co-pilot’s seat, holding the throttle and pushing a button to dump 24 tons of water on forest fires about 200 kilometers southeast of Moscow.

Footage on Channel One television showed Putin hitting the button and asking the pilot, “Was that OK?”

The pilot replied, “A direct hit!”

Vladimir also likes outside sports, like skiing, running and swimming but also like fishing.

Nicolas Sarkozy, 55-years-old

French President

Named the 68th best-dressed person in the world by Vanity Fair, alongside David Beckham and Brad Pitt, Nicolas Sarkozy has also been named as the third worst-dressed person in the world by GQ.

Sarkozy is reported by Reuters to be sensitive about his height (believed to be 5 ft 5in or 5 ft 6in, 165 cm). He has been noted as wearing substantially heeled shoes and standing on hidden platforms, while the French media have pointed out that Carla Bruni frequently wears flats when in public with him.

In 2009, this was the subject of a political row, when a worker at a factory where Sarkozy gave a speech said she was asked to stand next to him because she was of a similar height (this story was corroborated by some union officials). The president’s office called the accusation “completely absurd and grotesque”, while the Socialist Party mocked his fastidious preparation.

Silvio Berlusconi, 73-year-old

Italian Prime Minister

Most of tabloid’s attention refers to his bedroom habits. The Italian prime minister, who is estimated to be worth $8 billion, had been married for 19 years with his second wife Veronica Lario, who in May, this year, reached an out-of-court divorce settlement by which she will get to keep the luxurious Milanese Villa Belvedere in Macherio, valued at $105 million, where she lives with the couple’s three children.

The 73-year-old Silvio Berlusconi attended the 18th birthday party of a Neapolitan underwear model who called him “Papi.” Veronica Lario, his 53-year-old ex-wife, said that she could no longer stay married to a man who “consorted with minors.”

Noemi Letizia, the 18-year-old who became famous for saying that she called Berlusconi “Papi” (“daddy”), told Corriere del Mezzogiorno in April that she wanted to be a showgirl, but added: “Politics interests me, too.” Was she perhaps after a seat in the regional assembly? “I prefer to stand for the Chamber,” she replied blithely. “Papi Silvio will take care of it.”

Berlusconi’s Rome residence, his own “White House”, is most famous for the bedroom with “Putin’s bed” where Berlusconi was caught on tape directing a paid escort to wait for him while he showered.

Last summer, Italians were bombarded with nude photos from the prime minister’s Sardinian parties and taped conversations between the prime minister and a notable escort who recorded their post-coital conversations on her cell phone.

One reason for all these could be a compulsive need to be loved. “I do everything in my power to make myself loved,” he explained to reporters.

Other heads of states have some intriguing way of being or manifesting the power.

Thus, the Romanian President, Traian Basescu, 58-years-old, is well known for his drinking problems and for taking some phisical measures against his people or even children (!!!).

In 2006, after the Steaua Bucharest football team qualified in the UEFA Cup semifinals, Traian Basescu, invited the team to a Bucharest restaurant to celebrate the victory. During the festivities he was filmed drinking a glass of champagne alongside Gigi Becali, the controversial owner of the team, yet after the celebration he drove his own car home.

The media accused him of defying the Romanian legislation, which considers driving under the influence either a summary or a criminal offense, depending on blood alcohol levels. Asked about the events, Basescu declined a direct answer, accused the media of exaggerating and refused further comment on the incident.

Hugo Chávez, 56-years-old, the President of Venezuela, has become increasingly open to discussing his religious views, stating that both his faith and his interpretation of Jesus’ personal life and ideology have had a profound impact on his left-wing and progressivist views. He often invokes God and asks for prayer in speeches, as he did when he asked Venezuelans to pray for Fidel Castro’s health.

He describes himself as Christian who grew up expecting to become a priest. According to him, as a result of this background his socialist policies have been borne with roots in the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s opponents have jumped on the use of Twitter and other social networking sites, opening up a new flank in a decade-long campaign against the self-proclaimed socialist revolutionary who they accuse of silencing critical media and attacking free speech.

The closing down of a popular private television network triggered street protests rallied by #freevenezuela messages that became the fourth most commented “trending topic” on Twitter worldwide for February.

The microblogging site has seen an explosive rise in usage in Venezuela to more than 200,000 active accounts. With growth of over 1,000 percent in 2009, Venezuela now has one of the highest rates per capita of Twitter users in Latin America.

Twitter’s dizzy expansion has upset Chavez and he is hitting back.

“The Internet is a battle trench because it is bringing a current of conspiracy,” Chavez said earlier this month.

“The Internet cannot be free,” he said, though days later he denied claims that his government planned to censor the Internet, pointing out that Web use by Venezuelans has expanded dramatically during his 11 years in power.

Still, his detractors say a plan to channel all Internet traffic through the state telecom company is a strong signal of Chavez’s intentions to silence online dissent.

In a television interview Chavez said that “the Internet is not something free, where people can do and say anything. No, each State must impose its rules and regulations.”

He noted news site Noticiero Digital Venezuela, saying that it posted false information that some of his close allies were killed.

Chavez asked the country’s general prosecutor to take immediate action against the Website. “This is a crime”, the South American leader appreciated.

The site is one of the most popular portals and contains critical news and reviews.

Chavez already has a tradition in conflicts with audiovisual and written press which is critical to his address. One of the anti-Chavez stations, Radio Caracas Television, was removed from the wire in 2007 after the president refused to renew its license.

In January, also, cable television providers and satellite have stopped running this channel and others as defiance of regulations on the full transmission of Chavez’s speech.

Last anti-Chavez channel, which now transmits free, Globovision, faces numerous investigations of governmental bodies in various charges.

“Why are they sending 3000 soldiers as if they would go to war?”, the socialist leader is asking, and always denounces the American “imperialism”.
“It seems they take advantage of the tragedy to hold military Haiti”, said Chavez.

The statements of the Brazilian leader are coming after Nicaraguan’s statements, Daniel Ortega, which also criticized, the sending of 10.000 American soldiers on Caribbean Sea island.

“What is happening now in Haiti is worrying me a lot, because it is being abused by a drama to send troops which already have taken control of the airport”, said Ortega.

Hugo Chavez announced he will send a ship with 225.000 barrels of fuel to Haiti, through the Dominican Republic.

“The Haitian people must know that we are sending the fuel they need”, said Chavez.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister, Nicolas Maduro, said that:” 5675 tones of food will be send by ALBA ship and other two Venezuelan ships, with destination Haiti”.

Maduro made these statements on Caracas airport, from where the third Venezuelan airplane loaded with 14 tones of humanitarian help left. Also, the Russian Government made available two cargo airplanes for Venezuela.